Which place is cheaper, Khao Lak or Petra?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Petra or Khao Lak?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Petra and Khao Lak can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Petra or Khao Lak?
Petra
Whether you're checking off the Seven Wonders of the World, or you're just a huge Indiana Jones fan, the city of Petra must be on your bucket list. The "rose red city, half as old as time," was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom in the 6th century BC. It was the center for trade and commerce until an earthquake took out buildings and destroyed their water management system. After this destruction, the city of Petra seemed to be lost to western civilization.
Khao Lak
Resiliency and relaxation. Those are the two words used to describe one of Thailand's most breathtaking cities. Khao Lak is located in southern Thailand, and when the tsunami of 2004 hit, this area saw the most damage. With more than 4,000 fatalities, 3,000 still unaccounted for and enormous structural damages, many thought Khao Lak would not be able to bounce back. They have proved everyone wrong with a strong and impressive recovery. Now it has returned to its status of vacation hotspot. Unlike neighboring Phuket, though, the resorts in Khao Lak are designed for families and some peace and quiet.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Jordan, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Jordan, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Thailand, and The Best Wildlife Tours to Thailand.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPetra $125Khao Lak $112
The average daily cost (per person) in Petra is $125, while the average daily cost in Khao Lak is $112. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Petra and Khao Lak in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPetra $59Khao Lak $51
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPetra $118Khao Lak $102
Compare Hotels in Petra and Khao Lak
Looking for a hotel in Petra or Khao Lak? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Petra Hotel Prices and Khao Lak Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Petra $23Khao Lak $52
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Petra
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Petra:
- Petra Private Transfer to or from Aqaba: $105
- Petra to Aqaba South Beach Hotels Private Transfer: $110
- Petra to Madaba Private Transfer: $140
- Petra to Sheikh Hussein Crossing Border Private Transfer: $180
- Petra to Wadi Rum Private Transfer: $80
- Private Departure Transfer: Petra Hotels to Amman Airport: $93
- Private Transfer Amman Airport to Ma'in Hotel and vice versa: $73
- Private Transfer Amman Airport to Petra or vice versa via the King's Highway: $120
- Private Transfer From Petra to Amman or Airport With Optional : $99
- Private Transfer Petra to/from Wadi Rum: $135
- Private Transfer from Petra City Hotels to Aqaba Airport: $93
- Private transfer Petra to/from Wadi Rum: $118
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Khao Lak
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Khao Lak:
- Phuket: Private One-Way Transfer to/from Khao Lak by Car: $30
- Khao Lak/Bang Sak: 1-Way Private Transfer to Phuket Airport: $41
- 30-Minutes Guided Tour & Transfer to Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary: $42
- Private Transfer from Phuket Airport to Khao Lak: $44
- 2-Hour Guided Eco-Tour & Transfer to Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary: $55
- Khao Lak To Khao Sok Private Minivan & Car Transfer: $56
- Private Transfer from Khao Lak to Phuket (HKT) Airport: $100
- From Carnival Magic Phuket Ticket with Transfer: $106
- Krabi Airport: Private Transfer to/from Khaolak: $111
- Similan Island Snorkeling Adventure -Full-Day Tour with Transfers: $119
Is it cheaper to fly into Petra or Khao Lak?
Prices for flights to both Khao Lak and Petra change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayPetra $38Khao Lak $31
Typical Food Prices in Petra
Some typical examples of dining costs in Petra are as follows:
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Dinner for Two$12
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Juice$1.76
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Petra
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Petra.
- Cooking outside in little Petra between the Mountains. : $45
- Private Outdoor bedouin Dinner in Petra: $300
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Khao Lak
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Khao Lak.
- Authentic Thai Cooking Class in Khao Lak with Market Tour by Pakinnaka School: $56
- Riverside Thai Cooking Half Day Class: $57
- Authentic Thai cooking class with market tour.: $59
- Thai Cooking Class in a Garden with Transfer: $59
- Thai Cooking Class in Khaolak: $61
- 3 hours Khao Lak Cooking Class and Market Visit: $68
- Half-Day Cooking Class and Ingredient Hunt: $68
- 3-Hour Khaolak Cooking Class with Food Market Visit: $69
- Khao Sok Local Life Adventure & Traditional Cooking Class: $89
- Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary, Cooking Class and Waterfall Tour: $97
- ATV Quad Bike Excursion to Stunning Waterfalls with Dinner: $97
- Thai Food Cooking Class & ATV Adventure Tour: $97
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Petra $47Khao Lak $19
Typical Entertainment Prices in Petra
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Petra are as follows:
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Entry to Petra for One$71
Tours and Activities in Petra
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Petra are as follows:
- 3-hour Private Guided Tour In Petra with hotel pick up.: $75
- Private Indiana-Jones Archeological Trail Tour: $90
- Private Half-Day Tour of Petra with Lunch: $120
- Wadi Rum Day Tour from Petra ending in Aqaba: $138
- Private Petra Back Entrance Tour with Guide .: $140
- 3 Hour Horse Riding Adventure around the Petra Area: $145
- Wadi Rum Private Tour from Petra with Martian and Star Wars Film Site: $173
- Petra Back Entrance Private Walking Tour: $215
- Private Full-Day Tour to Petra and Wadi Rum from Dead Sea: $269
- Private Back Trail Tour of Petra starting from the Monastery : $276
Tours and Activities in Khao Lak
Here are a few actual costs in Khao Lak for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Guided Walk & Feed Elephant Experience with Pickup: $35
- Bamboo Rafting and Sea Turtle Conservation Center Half Day Tour From Khao Lak: $37
- Guide Tour to Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary in Small Group: $44
- Takuapa Cultural History Half-Day Tour From Khao Lak: $48
- Elephant Sanctuary Guided Tour: $51
- Khaolak: Begin the Day with Elephants - Walk and Feed Tour: $51
- Elephant Bathing and Feeding Tour: $52
- 30 Minutes Khaolak ATV Quadbike & Waterfall Adventure: $53
- 30-Minutes ATV Quads and Waterfall Experience in Khaolak : $55
- Little Amazon Canoe Ride & Tam Nang Waterfall Tour: $56
- Sok River Canoeing | Half-Day Tour: $58
- Historical And Cultural Day Tour To Takuapa Old Town From Khao Lak: $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPetra $15Khao Lak $13
When comparing the travel costs between Petra and Khao Lak, we can see that Petra is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Petra is in Middle East and Khao Lak is in Asia, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Petra Expensive? and Is Khao Lak Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Petra or Khao Lak?
Petra has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Khao Lak. When comparing the sizes of Petra and Khao Lak, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Petra or Khao Lak?
Both destinations experience a warmer climate with nice weather most of the year. Instead of summer and winter seasons, they usually have a rainy season and a dry season.
Should I visit Petra or Khao Lak in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Petra and Khao Lak. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Petra year-round. Khao Lak attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Khao Lak receives a lot of rain in the summer. In July, Petra usually receives less rain than Khao Lak. Petra gets 0 mm (0 in) of rain, while Khao Lak receives 284 mm (11.2 in) of rain each month for the summer.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Khao Lak this time of the year. In Petra, it's very sunny this time of the year. Petra usually receives more sunshine than Khao Lak during summer. Petra gets 384 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Lak receives 206 hours of full sun in the summer.
The heat can be very extreme in Petra. In the summer, Petra is a little warmer than Khao Lak. Typically, the summer temperatures in Petra in July average around 33°C (91°F), and Khao Lak averages at about 28°C (82°F).
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyPetra 33°C (91°F)Khao Lak 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Petra or Khao Lak in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Petra as well as Khao Lak. Petra attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Khao Lak throughout the year.
Also, November to April in Khao Lak is the dry season. May to October in Khao Lak is the rainy season. It's quite rainy in Khao Lak. Petra usually gets less rain in October than Khao Lak. Petra gets 2 mm (0.1 in) of rain, while Khao Lak receives 351 mm (13.8 in) of rain this time of the year.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Petra this time of the year. In the autumn, Petra often gets more sunshine than Khao Lak. Petra gets 295 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Lak receives 181 hours of full sun.
In October, Petra is generally around the same temperature as Khao Lak. Daily temperatures in Petra average around 27°C (80°F), and Khao Lak fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberPetra 27°C (80°F)Khao Lak 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Petra or Khao Lak in the Winter?
Both Khao Lak and Petra are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Petra throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Khao Lak because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In January, Petra usually receives more rain than Khao Lak. Petra gets 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Khao Lak receives 42 mm (1.7 in) of rain each month for the winter.
It's quite sunny in Khao Lak. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Petra. Petra usually receives less sunshine than Khao Lak during winter. Petra gets 234 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Lak receives 287 hours of full sun in the winter.
Petra is much colder than Khao Lak in the winter. The daily temperature in Petra averages around 15°C (59°F) in January, and Khao Lak fluctuates around 27°C (80°F).
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryPetra 15°C (59°F)Khao Lak 27°C (80°F)
Should I visit Petra or Khao Lak in the Spring?
Both Khao Lak and Petra during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Petra because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Khao Lak year-round.
November to April is the dry season in Khao Lak. May to October is the rainy season in Khao Lak. Khao Lak gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Petra usually gets less rain in April than Khao Lak. Petra gets 12 mm (0.5 in) of rain, while Khao Lak receives 157 mm (6.2 in) of rain this time of the year.
In Khao Lak, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Petra. In the spring, Petra often gets more sunshine than Khao Lak. Petra gets 282 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Lak receives 249 hours of full sun.
In the spring, Petra is cooler than Khao Lak. Typically, the spring temperatures in Petra in April average around 25°C (76°F), and Khao Lak averages at about 29°C (83°F).
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilPetra 25°C (76°F)Khao Lak 29°C (83°F)
Typical Weather for Khao Lak and Petra
| Petra | Khao Lak | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 15°C (59°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) |
| Feb | 17°C (62°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 30 mm (1.2 in) |
| Mar | 20°C (68°F) | 36 mm (1.4 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Apr | 25°C (76°F) | 12 mm (0.5 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 157 mm (6.2 in) |
| May | 28°C (83°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 345 mm (13.6 in) |
| Jun | 31°C (88°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 286 mm (11.3 in) |
| Jul | 33°C (91°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 284 mm (11.2 in) |
| Aug | 32°C (90°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 272 mm (10.7 in) |
| Sep | 30°C (87°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 417 mm (16.4 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (80°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 351 mm (13.8 in) |
| Nov | 21°C (70°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 188 mm (7.4 in) |
| Dec | 16°C (62°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.